The Game of Their Lives (2005)

Director:

David Anspaugh

Writers (WGA):

Geoffrey Douglas (book)
Angelo Pizzo (written by)

Release Date:

26 August 2005 (South Korea)

Genre:

Drama | History | Sport

Tagline:

The match against England in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on June 19, 1950 was "the game of their lives".

Plot:

Based on a true story, this film tells the tale of the 1950 US soccer team who, against all odds, beat England 1 - 0 in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Although no US team has ever won a World Cup title, this story is about the family traditions and passions which shaped the lives of the players who made up this team of underdogs. |

Plot Keywords:

World Cup | Brazil | Soccer | 1950s | World War Two Veteran

Cast

Gerard Butler	...	Frank Borghi
Wes Bentley	...	Walter Bahr
Jay Rodan	...	Frank 'Pee Wee' Wallace
Gavin Rossdale	...	Stanley Mortensen
Costas Mandylor	...	Charlie 'Gloves' Columbo
Louis Mandylor	...	Gino Pariani
Zachery Ty Bryan	...	Harry Keough (as Zachery Bryan)
Jimmy Jean-Louis	...	Joe Gaetjens
Richard Jenik	...	Joe Maca
Nelson Vargas	...	John 'Clarkie' Souza
Craig Hawksley	...	Walter Giesler
Bill Smitrovich	...	Admiral Higgins
Patrick Stewart	...	Older Dent McSkimming
Terry Kinney	...	Dent McSkimming
John Rhys-Davies	...	Bill Jeffrey (as John Rhys Davies)
Maria Bertrand	...	Rosemary Borghi
Marilyn Dodds Frank	...	Fara Borghi
Thomas Charles Simmons	...	Joe Calcaterra (as Thomas C. Simmons)
Julie Granata	...	Janet Capiello
Mike Bacarella	...	Silvio Capiello
Tia Marrie	...	Alma Flores (as Tia Marie)
Ricardo Gutierrez	...	Salvador Flores
Mike Nussbaum	...	Johnny Abruzzo
Brooke Edwards	...	Fiora Abruzzo
Nino Da Silva	...	Eddie Sousa
John Harkes	...	Ed McIlvenny
Sal E. Polizzi	...	The Priest (as Rev. Msgr. Sal E. Polizzi)
Adriana Fazio	...	The Widow
Deborah Corday	...	Woman
S.G. Stratigos	...	Referee (Simpkins)
Tom Brainard	...	Lieutenant Austin
Gus V. Torregrossa	...	The Barber of the Hill
Joe Erker	...	"Chubby" Lyons
Derk Droze	...	Bobby Annis
Brad Coburn	...	Bobby Ravisi
Amanda Kennedy	...	Adriana Ravisi
Tim Vickery	...	BBC Announcer World Cup Game
Darren Michael Marold	...	Simpkins Player
Whitney Wheelock	...	Goalie
Sean Wheelock	...	Sportscaster
Walter Bahr	...	Himself
Frank Borghi	...	Himself
Harry Keough	...	Himself
Gino Pariani	...	Himself
John Souza	...	Himself (as John 'Clarkie' Souza)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jaxon Stanford	...	NY Press Photographer
Stephen Alexander	...	Sideline Cameraman (uncredited)
James E. Ash	...	All-Star Game Head Referee (uncredited)
Patrick Belics	...	Grocery Delivery Boy (uncredited)
Vanna Bonta	...	Italian Bride (uncredited)
Ian Carrington	...	English Coach (uncredited)
Shawn I. Chevalier	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Bryan Deehring	...	Soccer Player #1 (uncredited)
Kenn Drescher	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Pamela Fischer	...	Woman in Press Box (uncredited)
Rosemary Garris	...	Fan (uncredited)
Cleve Gray	...	England Sound Man (uncredited)
Todd Gwin	...	Intense Fan (uncredited)
Rick Kain	...	Referee (uncredited)
Paul Lancia	...	Simpkins #11 (uncredited)
Brenna McDonough	...	Woman in Press Box (uncredited)
Rob Miley	...	Simpkins #14 (uncredited)
Alex Moore	...	Sports Reporter (uncredited)
Sarah Maria Newman	...	Wedding Singer (uncredited)
Candace Nicol	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Chelsea O'Toole	...	Soccer Fan (uncredited)
Eddie Perino	...	Supporting (uncredited)
Patrick Rooney	...	Jeremy Wellfleet (uncredited)
Riley Schmidt	...	Simpkins Ford Soccer Player (uncredited)
Dave Schuetz	...	Spectator at the Fence (uncredited)
Gary Sedlock	...	St. Louis Spectator Behind Coaches / Spectator in New York (uncredited)
Deborah S. Smith	...	Soccer Player Wife (uncredited)
Tymica Spiller	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Towanda Underdue	...	Soccer Player Wife (uncredited)
Jani Vorwerk	...	Hotel Guest (uncredited)

Directed by
David Anspaugh

Writing credits (WGA)
Geoffrey Douglas		(book)
Angelo Pizzo		(written by)

Produced by
Howard Baldwin	....	producer
Karen Elise Baldwin	....	producer (as Karen Baldwin)
Ira Deutchman	....	co-producer
Tereza Gonzalez	....	executive producer
Olivia Guimaraes	....	line producer: Brazil (as Olívia Guimarães Castro)
Kevin Halloran	....	line producer: Washington, D.C.
Billy Higgins	....	line producer
William J. Immerman	....	executive producer
Greg Johnson	....	producer
Nick Morton	....	co-producer
Peter Newman	....	producer
Ginger T. Perkins	....	producer
Angelo Pizzo	....	co-producer

Original Music by
William Ross

Cinematography by
Johnny E. Jensen		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ian Crafford
Lee Grubin
Bud S. Smith		(as Bud Smith)
M. Scott Smith		(as Scott Smith)

Casting by
Amanda Mackey Johnson
Cathy Sandrich		(as Cathy Sandrich Gelfond)

Production Design by
Linda Burton

Art Direction by
Michael Atwell

Set Decoration by
David Smith

Costume Design by
Jane Anderson

Makeup Department
Sherri Bramlett	....	key hair stylist: Washington, D.C.
Deborah K. Dee	....	key makeup artist (as Deborah Dee)
Barbara Lacy	....	makeup dept head: D.C.
Maria Lucia Mattos	....	hair stylist: Brazil (as Maria Lúcia Mattos)
Vicky Phillips	....	key hair stylist
Vavá Torres	....	makeup artist: Brazil
Adruitha Lee	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Theresa Miller	....	additional hair stylist (uncredited)
Eileen Sazama	....	additional makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Billy Higgins	....	unit production manager
Anne Johns	....	production supervisor: Brazil
Lisa Dennis Kennedy	....	post-production supervisor
Joel C. Peterson	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frank Ferro	....	first assistant director: Washington D.C.
Anne Pinheiro Guimarães	....	first assistant director
Stephanie Lovell	....	second second assistant director: Washington, DC
Tatiana Maciel	....	second second assistant director
Bradley Morris	....	second second assistant director
Barbara M. Ravis	....	second assistant director
Rafael Salgado	....	second assistant director
Stacy Schrader	....	dga trainee
Gigi Soares	....	second assistant director
Chris Stoia	....	first assistant director
Kurt Uebersax	....	second assistant director: Washington DC

Art Department
Chris Benson	....	on-set dresser
Cat Cacciatore	....	property assistant
Mike Carrillo	....	property master
Benjamin Edelberg	....	set designer
Daniel Flaksman	....	stand-by art director
Greg Goad	....	set dresser
Amy Graham	....	set dresser
Juliana Guedes	....	art department assistant
Emily Haack	....	on-set props assistant
Daniel Hirsh	....	art department intern
Brent Jaimes	....	set dresser
Scott Jenkins	....	graphic artist
Bobby Kirk	....	set dresser
Paul Knubley	....	set dresser
Oswaldo Lioi	....	set designer
Tiago Marques Teixeira	....	assistant set designer
David McCahan	....	swing gang
Scot Terry	....	conceptual artist
William Tonn	....	set dresser
Jim Tudor	....	set dresser
Pedro von Tiesenhausen	....	assistant property master
Michele Waldfogel	....	art department coordinator: St Louis
Michele Waldfogel	....	clearance and research
Clark Woodman	....	assistant property master
Kelsey Lapoint	....	on-set painter (uncredited)
Renata Otomura	....	assistant art department coordinator (uncredited)
Chris Shader	....	on-set props assistant (uncredited)
David Tennenbaum	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Richard L. Anderson	....	sound effects editor
Mike Chock	....	supervising sound editor
Robert Eber	....	production sound mixer (as Bob Eber)
Avram D. Gold	....	dialog & adr editor
Doc Kane	....	adr mixer
Shawn Ian Kerkhoff	....	assistant sound editor
Andy Koyama	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mark A. Mangini	....	supervising sound editor
Darrin Mann	....	foley mixer
Bill Meadows	....	sound recordist
Robert Morrisey	....	assistant sound editors
Rob Nokes	....	additional sound recordist
Rob Nokes	....	voiceover recordist
Ralph Osborn	....	adr editor
Erin Michael Rettig	....	sound engineer
Kira Roessler	....	adr supervisor
Nick Shaffer	....	sound effects recordist
Andy Sisul	....	assistant sound editor
Greg Steele	....	adr mixer
David Williams	....	dialogue editor

Special Effects by
Mauricio Couto Bevilaqua	....	special effects technician
Lisa Reynolds	....	special effects assistant
Bob Shelley	....	special effects coordinator
Dave Rutherford	....	special effects crew (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Brian Corpus	....	technical operations manager: Pacific Title and Art Studio
Brian Hanable	....	digital effects compositor: Pacific Title
Nicky Ladas	....	IT manager
Nicky Ladas	....	film scanner operator
Kim Pearce	....	senior systems administrator
Sérgio Schmid	....	visual effects supervisor
David Stump	....	visual effects supervisor
James D. Tittle	....	visual effects coordinator: Pacific Title
Bob Wiatr	....	digital effects compositor: Pacific Title

Camera and Electrical Department
Nicolas Amato	....	electrician
Bill Brao	....	camera operator
Antonio Marcos Cardoso	....	electrician
Thomas S. Ciciura	....	assistant camera: St. Louis
Jason Cleaveland	....	grip
Dan Gartner	....	rigging electrician
Lonnie S. Gatlin	....	best boy electric
Lonnie S. Gatlin	....	rigging gaffer
James Goldman	....	film loader
Ted Gregg	....	electrician
Ted Gregg	....	grip
Tim Hawn	....	rigging grip
Marty Hechinger	....	electrician
Tim Hennessy	....	camera loader: Washington D.C.
Scott Inge	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera: Washington D.C.
John Johnson	....	still photographer
Bob E. Krattiger	....	gaffer
Dave Kube	....	rigging electrician
Trevor Loomis	....	key first assistant camera
Ulisses Malta Jr.	....	electrician
David L. Merrill	....	key grip
Charles 'Chaz' Norcross	....	best boy grip
Alexandre Ramos	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Adam Reisz	....	grip
Eric Ritter	....	gang boss
Scott Ronnow	....	second assistant camera
Martina Rupp	....	second assistant camera
David D. Scott	....	video engineer
John Sennott	....	electrician
Paulo Souza	....	gaffer
Jack Thomas	....	gang boss
Jerry Wheat	....	electrician
William D. Wynn	....	dolly grip
Matt Zschoche	....	electrician
R. Samul	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Jane Alderman	....	additional casting: Chicago
Ruy Brito	....	additional casting: Brazil
Sig De Miguel	....	casting associate: US
Carrie Houk	....	additional casting: St. Louis (as Carrie Houck)
Caitlin McKenna-Wilkinson	....	voice casting (as Caitlin McKenna)
Olivia Rabacov	....	additional casting: Brazil
Mônica Teixeira	....	additional casting: Brazil (as Monica Teixeira)
Wendy Weidman	....	casting associate: US

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tony Cusumano	....	production assistant: costumes, St. Louis
Deb Dalton	....	costume supervisor: Washington D.C.
Erin Haigh	....	costume department intern
Jennifer Losi	....	costume production assistant
Elaine McGhee	....	set costumer
Robin Roberts	....	key costumer
Roric Ruegsegger	....	costume assistant
Michael A. Russell	....	costume supervisor
Cricket Vandover	....	wardrobe assistant (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Jason Bretz	....	assistant editor
Anthony Durazzo	....	assistant editor
David Orr	....	color timer
Mike Sowa	....	digital color timer
Jeff Williams	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Bruce Babcock	....	orchestrator
Johnny Caruso	....	music editor
Lindsay Fellows	....	music supervisor
Mark Graham	....	music librarian
Jim Harrison	....	music editor
Lesley Langs	....	music editor: temp
Mark McKenzie	....	orchestrator
Christopher S. Parker	....	music supervisor
Steven L. Smith	....	music preparation

Transportation Department
Dan 'the Mayor' Cowden	....	transportation
Glenn Korbesmeyer	....	driver: transportation department
Tom Phillips	....	transportation operations

Other crew
Julia Berreto Kos	....	assistant: David Anspaugh, Brazil
Kristine Bochum	....	second assistant accountant: post-production
Rebecca Bossen	....	dialect coach
Tom Brainard	....	soccer player coordinator
Ilana Brakarz	....	production assistant
Trisha Burton	....	script supervisor
Clara Cardoso	....	production intern
Caryn Cheever	....	co-first assistant accountant
Tony Cypres	....	assistant accountant: Rio de Janeiro
Neil Daly	....	athletic instructor
Cris De Arce	....	set key production assistant
Larry Donahue	....	caterer
Cindy Duarte	....	location assistant
Missy Eustermann	....	post-production accountant
Gino Falla	....	assistant accountant
Stuart Fink	....	publicist
Patrick Fisher	....	production assistant
Scott Foster	....	production assistant: Washington D.C.
Michael Frisella	....	production assistant
Kenny Gallagher	....	second assistant accountant
Raul Guterres	....	production executive
John Harkes	....	additional soccer consultant and coach
Amy Hartweger	....	production assistant
Keith Hueffmeier	....	location department intern
Anne Johns	....	production coordinator: St. Louis, MO
C. David Jones	....	key set production assistant
Ricardo Karam	....	production assistant
Daniel V. Kinkade	....	location manager
Drew Langer	....	production assistant
Rick Larsen	....	soccer trainer
Heather Midgley	....	assistant: David Anspaugh, USA
Tom Nicoll	....	production assistant
Tony Niknejadi	....	production assistant
Matthew Dillon Noonan	....	location assistant
Rosemary Orlando	....	assistant production coordinator
Bill Parmentier	....	location assistant
Patrick Tendai Pfupajena	....	production assistant: Washington D.C.
Stephanie Raven	....	massage therapist
Vicki Dee Rock	....	production executive
Bryan Schmidt	....	production assistant: locations
Anne Scott	....	first assistant accountant
Andrew J. Stratmann	....	production assistant
Steve Theiss	....	office production assistant
Lynda Van Damm	....	production controller
Drew Vandervelde	....	production coordinator: Washington D.C.
Mathew Vitale	....	cook
Johnny Weeston	....	accounting assistant
Eric Wynalda	....	soccer consultant and coach
Jonathan Zurer	....	producer: Washington D.C.
Michael J. Harker	....	completion bond company representative (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Independent Film Channel (IFC) (presents)
• Bristol Bay Productions (presents)
• Peter Newman Productions (in association with)
• InterAL (in association with)
• Baldwin Entertainment Group (in association with)
• Crusader Entertainment
• thinkfilm (Washington DC scenes)
• Game of Their Lives

Distributors

• Game of Their Lives (2005) (worldwide) (all media)
• IFC Films (2005) (USA) (theatrical)
• Fabrication Films (2005) (Non-USA) (all media)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2006) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Cine Qua Non Films (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Focus Filmes (2005) (Brazil) (DVD) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Mill Creek Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD)
• Movie Bank (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• NoShame Films (2005) (Italy) (all media)
• Phoenicia Pictures (2012) (Non-USA) (all media) (Middle East)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Starmedia Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• VVS Films (2006) (Canada) (all media)
• Videoville Showtime (2006) (Canada) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Pacific Title and Art Studio (visual effects)
• Photon VFX (matte painting)
• Twister Studios (uncredited)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  dollies
• S&S Editors  post production
• Sportsrobe  costumes

Also Known As:

"The Miracle Match" - USA (alternative title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for some mild language and thematic elements

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-3 | Australia:G | Singapore:PG | USA:PG (certificate #40448) | Malaysia:U | Argentina:Atp | South Korea:All | Netherlands:AL | South Korea:12 (re-rating) (2013)

Filming Locations:

Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Company:

Independent Film Channel (IFC)

Trivia:

According to an interview he gave to the New York Times in 2010, this movie was made during the middle of Wes Bentley's decade-long, extremely serious addiction to cocaine and heroin. He said in that interview that he only accepted any movie roles during that time so that he would have money to buy enough drugs.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Although Bill Smitrovich's character is clearly an Air Force general, he is identified in the credits as "Admiral Higgins".

Movie Connections:

Referenced in My Big Break (2009)

Soundtrack:

Casta Diva

Enjoyed but one thing lacking

I very much enjoyed this movie. The return in time to 1950 was well done & very realistic. The movie did a nice job of recreating one of the most forgotten episodes in USA sports history. There is one thing I would have liked to have seen and that would have been an 'epilogue' at the end of the film stating what these players did with the rest of their lives. This is what was done at the end of movies such as 'Chariots of Fire' and 'American Graffiti'. I do know that Walter Bahr ended up as the soccer coach at Penn State. I know that Harry Keough was the soccer coach at St. Louis U. when they won five NCAA titles. It would have been nice to see these kind of summaries about all of the featured players.